For CSR funds and philanthropies

Fund the animal-free protein innovation layer that public nutrition budgets structurally cannot.

Government pays for the meals. Only corporate foundations and philanthropies can fund the R&D, formulation and validation of what goes into them. NEST4All turns that capital into products and systems that states can adopt at scale inside a ₹8-10 (~8-11 cents) plate.

What your funding unlocks

An open source specification, cost model and solution pack with evidence that any Govt or NGO can adopt as is.

Everything NEST develops with your funding is released openly. See exactly what we release, and what we hold back.

Our Funding Ask

₹3.09 crore (~$325k) across six workstreams, with 180 days of on-ground validation inside it

One laddoo, or one roti. Same protein as dairy or eggs.

ProteNova™

Laddoo with 25g

NovaStaple™

1 Roti (40 g flour; 70% NovaStaple, 30% wheat)

=

600 ml

Milk

~₹30

110 g

Paneer (Cottage Cheese)

~₹45

570 g

Dahi (Yogurt)

~₹35

3 eggs

Eggs

~₹21

Innovation programme budget breakdown
Formulation, menu integration and kitchen trials across staple and beverage formats₹0 (already funded by DE3PBIO)
Product supply: 10,000 beneficiaries x 180 days = 1.8 mn beneficiary-days at ₹10 (~11 cents) per day₹1.80 cr (~$189k)
Independent evaluation, biomarkers and data collection (measured cohort of 1,500 beneficiaries)₹0.40 cr (~$42k)
Regulatory, specification, sustainability accounting and open documentation, and funder reporting₹0.20 cr (~$21k)
Programme management and admin and ops (partner agencies)₹0.25 cr (~$26k)
Validation & measurement (3rd party labs)₹0.20 cr (~$21k)
Dissemination, ecosystem outreach and adoption pathways (ProVeg Incubator or GFI India)₹0.24 cr (~$25k)
Total₹3.09 cr (~$325k)

How the numbers work

₹1.29 cr

Non-product costs at Indian institutional rates (~$136k)

₹0.24 cr

Ring-fenced for dissemination (~$25k)

1,500

Measured cohort with biomarkers & anthropometry

₹8-12

Existing per-person daily food budget

Every non-product line is priced at Indian institutional rates. At state scale the intervention sits inside existing ₹8 (~8 cents) per child and ₹10-12 (~11-13 cents) per woman budgets. USD at ₹95 to the dollar.

  • 100% plant-based and animal-free output
  • Lower cost per gram of protein digested than dairy whey
  • FSSAI and US FDA compliant, manufacturable on existing Indian lines
  • No novel-food clearance or bioreactors needed

Delivery partners

On-ground partners are what turns a lab formulation into meals eaten by children and women every day.

Eg: Akshaya Patra for kitchens and on-ground execution, CSIR-CFTRI for science and process validation, and ProVeg Incubator or GFI India to carry results, specifications and cost models to states and industry. They are not an afterthought: they are the difference between a proof-of-concept and a programme that actually runs at scale.

Routes in

Four ways to fund us

Anchor funder

₹1.5 cr - ₹3.09 cr (~$0.16 mn - $0.33 mn)

Underwrites the full innovation programme: formulation, on-ground validation across two districts, independent evaluation and open handover to state systems, all on an animal-free, plant-based specification.

You getQuarterly data, named position on the published evidence pack, first look at every technology in the pipeline.

CSR programme partner

₹25 lakh+ (~$26k+)

Co-fund a beneficiary cohort or a single technology track inside an existing school-meal or Anganwadi network.

You getAudited cost-per-beneficiary reporting, animal-free sustainability footprint numbers and Schedule VII-aligned documentation.

Philanthropic R&D grant

₹50 lakh+ (~$53k+)

Fund the animal-free nutrition and sustainability science itself: new formats, micronutrient absorption work, shelf-life and heat-stability research for institutional kitchens.

You getOpen publication of results and specifications, with attribution.

Delivery and manufacturing partners

In-kind

Kitchen networks, ICDS blocks and NGOs who can host validation, plus manufacturers with blending or encapsulation capacity.

You getIngredient, specification, training and evaluation at no cost to the programme.

Plus, every funding route includes workforce access at public nutrition pricing. The same validated ingredients can go into your employee welfare, canteen, site-worker and insurance or wellness programmes, at programme rates rather than our retail or private B2B pricing.

What funders receive

Reporting built for CSR committees and foundation boards

A validated 100% plant-based, animal-free protein specification and cost model
Quarterly programme report with spend against workstream
Cost per beneficiary per day, audited, alongside the government baseline
Nutrition outcomes: haemoglobin, anthropometry, attendance, plate waste
Sustainability outcomes: emissions, water and land footprint per beneficiary-year
Schedule VII mapping and utilisation certificates for CSR compliance
Workforce access at public nutrition pricing for your own employee welfare and insurance programmes
Open release of specifications, recipes and cost models at programme close

Funder access

The same validated ingredients, at public nutrition pricing, for your own workforce.

Formats validated for public programmes can go into employee welfare kits, canteens, site-worker nutrition and insurance or wellness partnerships, at public nutrition rates rather than retail or B2B rates. The intent is practical: fewer sick days, less anaemia and fatigue across your workforce and their families. Terms are agreed case by case alongside the funding conversation.

Get in touch

Tell us what your fund is looking to back

We reply to every serious enquiry within five working days, with the full technical dossier and budget model where relevant.

Direct

kanth@nest4all.org

What to expect

A 30-minute call, the technical dossier for ProteNova™, NovaStaple™ and Nova Absorption, the full budget model, and a shortlist of districts and kitchen networks ready to host validation.

Where we work

India first, with the same programme design applicable across Sri Lanka and the wider region.